Washington Star

Could be State of, could be George, could be DC. You choose.

QST for this one ! and some Flying Geese :-)

Uses Collection 2

Since this block deals with quite small units, it makes the most sense to me to make not two flying geese in each colourway, but 4, and discard the two surplus. Likewise, it makes most sense to make 6 QST-squares, and discard one.
This is therefore, what the directions are made for.

Fabric 1 (background)
4 squares, each 1.5" (cut 2")
8 rectangles, each 0.75 x 1.5" (cut 1.25 x 2")
10 QST, 1.5" (p. 102)
3.5 x 9.25" (prints 12)
20 HST, 0.75" (p. 60)
5.75 x 7.5" (prints 24)

Fabric 2 (focus A)
10 QST, 1.5" (p. 102)
3.5 x 9.25" (do not print, but layer with the printed background-fabric)
1 square, 2.75" for 2 flying geese units (makes 4, but 2 are discarded)
Fabric 3 (focus B)
1 square, 2.75" for 2 flying geese units (makes 4, but 2 are discarded)
4 HST, 0.75" (p. 60)
2 x 3.5" (do not print, but layer with the printed background-fabric)

Make a total of 5 QST in Fabrics 1 and 2

see Linda's Triangle Tips on Flying Geese
Make the Flying Geese units with Fabrics 1 and 2
Make the Flying Geese units with Fabrics 1 and 3

Lay out the block as shown in picture on the right.
(click on picture if you have trouble seeing the individual units)

Join to form 5 rows, as shown in picture on the left.

Join rows

Finished !

Bonus-block - Spools

This month the square bonus-block is not made with the free collection or the LeMoyne star collection, but with Inklingo Lite # 4, the one you use if you are making your own version of Lucy Boston's Patchwork of the Crosses.

The block finishes smaller than 6", (actually, it finishes at the weird size of 4.82") but you can log-cabin it, and make it fit with the other 6" blocks.

Also, if you print the 1" squares for this block, you will waste some. You can get around that, by cutting squares, each 1.5". They will then finish at the 1" you need for this block.

As you can see, I have used scraps for centres, and have not coordinated the centre ("thread") part of the spools with the end of them. This is perfectly good with this pattern ... after all, spool-ends and colour of thread are rarely identical :-)


Fabric 1 (background)
8 Long half-hexagons (p. 48)
5.25 x 6"

2 strips, each 1.25 x 5.5" (for log-cabining the block, to make it 6")
2 strips, each 1.25 x 6.5" (for log-cabining the block, to make it 6")

Fabric 2 (Focus A)
4 Long half-hexagons (p. 48)
3 x 6"
4 squares, 1" (p. 28)
3.5 x 5"

Fabric 3 (Focus B)
4 Long half-hexagons (p. 48)
3 x 6"
4 squares, 1" (p. 28)
3.5 x 5"

Join a long half-hexagon of the same fabric to opposite sides of each square.

Inset a background-fabric half-hexagon to each of the remaining sides

Make a total of 4 spools

Arrange as a 4-patch

Join the squares as you would a 4-patch.

Log-cabining it : The shorter strips are longer than the block is. Just sew one on each side of the block, and then cut off the (small) excess.
Add the two longer strips to the remaining two sides.
Trim it down to 6.5". This is the unfinished size. It will finish at 6" when it goes into the quilt.

This is a great way to use your smallish scraps, and if you - like me - are slightly addicted to old quilts and pictures thereof, you can probably find at least one picture of an antique quilt, made from scraps.

Balkan Puzzle / Whirlpool

After all those HRT, time to sink into the (relative) comfort of a block made solely with HST.

Block finishes at 6"

Uses Collection 2

Fabric 1 (background)
16 HST, 1.5" (p. 66)
5.5 x 10.5"

Fabric 2 (focus A)
8 HST, 1.5" (p. 66)
Cut a piece 5.5" square to layer with the printed Fabric 1 (machine-piecing)
OR print a sheet the same size (hand-piecing).

Fabric 3 (focus B)
8 HST, 1.5" (p. 66)
Cut a piece 5.5" square to layer with the printed Fabric 1(machine-piecing)
OR print a sheet the same size (hand-piecing).

Cut Fabric 1 (background-fabric) into two halves

With Fabric 1 and 2 : make 8 squares. Press 4 of those towards the background-fabric, and 4 towards the focus-fabric. Yes. This is really necessary if you want to have a fighting-chance to make this block lie flat in the end. If you hand-piece, it isn't an issue, but if you machine-piece, it is.

With Fabric 2 and 3 : make another 8 squares. Again, press 4 of those towards the background-fabric, and 4 towards the focus-fabric.

Arrange as shown in picture (left).

Make 4 identical 3" squares (OR join rows)

Join the 4 squares (OR join the 4 rows).

Finished

Hexagon bonus block # 9

"Diamond Cube"
Finished size : 3" to the side.
Uses Collection 1

Fabric 1 (background / outside pieces)
6 diamonds, 1" (p. 55)
3.5 x 6" (printed landscape
Fabric 2 (light)
7 diamonds, 1" (p. 55)
3.5 x 7.5"

Fabric 3 (medium)
7 diamonds, 1" (p. 55)
3.5 x 7.5"
Fabric 4 (dark)
7 diamonds, 1" (p. 55)
3.5 x 7.5"


Even though it doesn't much look like it, this block is really a Hexagon-flower with an Attitude.
There are basically two ways to make it.

Make 7 hexagon-shaped blocks, each from one light, one medium and one dark diamond. Make sure the values are placed the same way in each of the blocks.

After having done this, you can make it as you would a Hexagon-Flower block (Cathi's Tutorial is right here)

The other option is to do it in strips, laying out your pieces like shown on the picture.
I would then machine-piece the dark-and-medium-(and-background)-fabric) "strips", and hand-piece in the light fabric diamonds afterwards


Barbara Brackman's "Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns" #240

President Carter

Another HRT-block, this one a presidential one.

Uses Collection 2

Fabric 1 (background)

4 HRT (p. 132), 1 x 2"
2.5 x 6" (portrait) OR
3.25 x 4.5 (landscape

4 HRT (p. 132), 1 x 2", printed mirror image (!!)
2.5 x 6" (portrait) OR
3.25 x 4.5 (landscape)

2 QST (p. 106), 2" finished
(the only smart thing here, is to print 4 and hope there will be a use for the remaining 2, somewhere along the line)
4" square

Fabric 2 (focus a)
4 HRT (p. 132), 1 x 2"
2.5 x 6" (portrait) OR
3.25 x 4.5 (landscape

4 HRT (p. 132), 1 x 2", printed mirror image (!!)
2.5 x 6" (portrait) OR
3.25 x 4.5 (landscape)

2 QST (p. 106), 2" finished
(the only smart thing here, is to print 4 and hope there will be a use for the remaining 2, somewhere along the line)
4" square

Fabric 3 (focus b)
4 squares, 2" (p. 59 of collection 1)
OR cut 4 squares, each 2.5"

Make the centre QST square. (see Linda's Triangle Tips)

Make star-point units as you did the previous blocks BUT, join them differently, ensuring that light goes together with dark.

Lay out, and join as a 9-patch

Finished


Brackmann # 1721

54-40 or Fight

Another 8-pointed star block, but this one with an attitude, viz the 4-patches tucked into the medley.








Fabric 1 (background)
4 HRT, 1 x 2" (Collection 2, p. 132)
2.5 x 6" (portrait) OR
3.25 x 4.5 (landscape)

4 HRT, 1 x 2" (Collection 2, p. 132, print mirror-image !)
2.5 x 6" (portrait) OR
3.25 x 4.5 (landscape)

10 squares, 1" (Collection 1, p. 58 OR the POTC p. 28)
3.75 x 8.5
Or cut 10 squares, each 1.5"

Fabric 2 (focus 1)
4 HRT, 1 x 2" (Collection 2, p. 132)
2.5 x 6" (portrait) OR
3.25 x 4.5 (landscape)

4 HRT, 1 x 2" (Collection 2, p. 132, print mirror-image !)
2.5 x 6" (portrait) OR
3.25 x 4.5 (landscape)

Fabric 3 (focus 2)
10 squares, 1" (Collection 1, p. 58 OR the POTC p. 28)
3.75 x 8.5
Or cut 10 squares, each 1.5"

Make the five 4-patches first:

You can strip-piece the 4-patches (picture on the left), or cut apart all the squares, and then join them.

Make sure that all your 4-patches twirl in the same direction. This is important for when you join the star (see picture below)
You can ensure this, by pressing to the dark the first time, and then, when joining the 2-square units to each other, make sure that they turn the same way as you put them through the machine (e.g. light through the machine first)
Make and set aside.

Star-points :
Make the star-points as you did the previous block.

Joining it all.

I rarely show pictures of the back, but here it is sort-of important. Make certain that the central seam on the star-point units turn "the other way" compared to the seams on the 4-patch. You will want that to be the case, because you can then twirl the seams where an awful lot of bits meet, rather than have big lumps of material that is impossible to iron flat.
See picture on the right.

Lay out and join as you would a 9-patch.

Press and you're finished !

Brackmann # 1624

Hexagon bonus block # 8

Spiderweb ... well ... it is Halloween tomorrow :-)

Uses Collection # 1

Finished size is 3" to the side

Fabric 1
3 half elongated hexagons (p. 45), 4.75 x 5"
3 half hexagons, 1" (p. 26), 3.5 x 4.5" (printed landscape
3 triangles, 1" (p. 52), 4 x 5" (yields 6 triangles)

Fabric 2
3 half elongated hexagons (p. 45), 4.75 x 5"
3 half hexagons, 1" (p. 26), 3.5 x 4.5" (printed landscape
3 triangles, 1" (p. 52), 4 x 5" (yields 6 triangles)


This is one of the few hexagon-blocks that is easy to machine-piece, so hand- or machine is the same. Whatever feels the more comfortable to you.

Print and cut apart shapes.

Start by making 3 triangle-units in each of the two colourways, as shown on picture to the left, making each triangle striped.
Press to the dark

Join the triangles, alternating light and dark, into two half-hexagons, each with 3 triangles, like the picture on the right.
Press, so the seams all lie open.

Join the two half-hexagons to finish the spider-web.
Now, this final pressing involves you having to turn some of the seams on the centre triangles. There is no way one can make triangles press beautifully and perfectly, so there will have to be some turned seams in there.